Nye, Naomi Shihab. 1992. This Same Sky. New York: Aladdin. ISBN: 0-689-80630-2.
This Same Sky is a collection of poetry compiled by Naomi Shihab Nye composed by poets across the globe. It represents an amazingly large number of countries around the world. The poems are divided into six categories: Words and Silences, Dreams and Dreamers, Families, This Earth and Sky In Which We Live, Losses, and Human Mysteries. As can be expected, the poems represent diverse cultures. Some poems translate better than others. The goal was to show how universal poetry is or can be.
There were many beautiful poems in this collection. In a collection this broad and diverse, it is hard to know how to go about analyzing them. There were several that kept my attention. For example, Napoleon was one that I liked immediately. Children very often have no clue when it comes to history. For example, if you ask a first grader who the president of the United States is most likely you'll hear that it is either George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. They just don't "get" time. Perhaps it is because the poem is just so true to life that makes it one of my favorites in the book.
I can see why this book is so well praised by others. I enjoy some of the poems. I understand that the greatness of the collection is the very fact that the poems are international. The goal or idea of introducing international poets to children and young adults is a good one. I can see why this collection exists. But at the same time, I did not personally enjoy it as much as I thought I should have based on how praised the book is. Personally, I am not that avid a reader of poetry. I don't necessarily enjoy abstract poetry. I don't really like poetry that you can read five hundred times and still never catch exactly what the meaning is supposed to be. I felt that many of the poems were just too abstract for my liking. I prefer humorous poetry, narrative poetry, or poetry that is written in a style or manner that is easy to understand.
I feel that this collection is important enough to include in any poetry collection in any library.
Other books in this culture:
| Culture One: International Lit | Culture Two: African American Lit |
| Culture Three: Hispanic/Latino(a) Lit | Culture Four: Native American Lit |
| Culture Five: Asian American Lit | Culture Six: Other Groups Lit |